Issues copying between Powerpoint and Word

[craigb6]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

Hi,

I like to use PowerPoint as a simple drawing application for creating diagrams which I use in coursework for my studies at school. I had been using Office 2004 in this way for the past two years and I haven't had an issue. For instance I would draw a diagram with simple shapes in PowerPoint and text boxes, then copy them straight into Word, where if required I could 'tinker' with the test in the text boxes etc.

However last month I upgraded to Office 2008 and I have been unable to do this. Whenever I copy something from PowerPoint to Word I am unable to edit text in text boxes and cannot even adjust layout features (such as text wrapping, centring the diagram). I have tried this with both .doc and .docx and I am still unable to edit or set layout options.

Even more frustrating is when I have created documents like this at school (using Office 2003 for windows) and open them in Word 2008 I can edit the text in these diagrams that I create.

Does anyone else have this problem or have I got some hidden setting unchecked? Thanks in advance for reading this and any help or advice which you can offer!

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Craig -

Although I can confirm the copy/paste problem I would tend to think that the
process may not be as much a necessity as it was with 2004. Word 2008 has
'almost' all the same drawing tools as PPt as well as a hefty array of
SmartArt graphics diagrams of its own. Have you explored the Object Palette
in the Toolbox & the SmartArt Graphics in the Elements Gallery?

 

[Matt Centurión [MSFT]]

In Office2008 PPT & XL are using a new graphics engine for drawing shapes,
while Word, to maintain better compatibility, is still using the same engine
used in the previous version.

This is why you're having some issues moving shapes from PPT to Word in
2008.

If you need them to remain editable in Word you could simply draw them
directly in Word (you'll have access to all the same drawing tools you did
in PPT).

If you have any questions about drawing the shapes in Word please let us
know (in the Word forum )

Otherwise you can always copy the shape back into PPT for further editing.

Matt
MacOffice Testing
Microsoft


Date: 3/26/08 12:12 PM / From: "(e-mail address removed)"

 

[craigb6]

Hi,

Thank you both for your fast responses.

I think that the drawing tools are much better in Word 2008 than in previous versions. However I saying that, Word 2008 makes drawing 'non cartoony' of 'flashy' diagrams very hard. I've uploaded to ImageShack some examples of the type of diagrams which I need to draw and include in reports for the courses that I study at school.

<http://img403.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture5oa2.png>
<http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture6bu5.png>

The current tools in Word make drawing these sorts of diagrams a much longer and more complex process.

Matt Centurión, I'm having trouble doing what you recommended. If I create a diagram in PowerPoint 2008, then copy it into Word 2008, then when I need to edit text etc I can copy it back into PowerPoint to edit the text? I am unable to copy back into PowerPoint to edit anything. In all fairness I could simply save the .pptx file then everytime I need to update something I copy straight from PowerPoint to Word.

 

[CyberTaz]

Here ya go:

http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnigraffle/

 

[Matt Centurión [MSFT]]

Hi Craig, thanks for uploading those examples. They are very illustrative.

A) You can set the default line style, fill, text properties, etc.. By
Right-clicking on shapes that have the properties you'd like to use as the
default and choosing "Set Autoshape defaults" or "Set as default shape" in
the Contextual menu you get when Right-clicking the shape.

This way you can adjust the properties to be less "cartoony".

B) To round-trip from PPT -> WD -> PPT simply:
1. Copy from PPT
2. Paste into Word
3. Save as .docx
4. Copy from Word
5. Paste into PPT

You mentioned that you can't copy it back into PPT? Can you give us any
more details? Does it not want to copy? Does it not want to paste? Does it
paste but not as the objects you originally drew?

If your Word document is a .doc (or says "compatibility mode" in the
window title) then you need to save as .docx for this roundtrip process to
work. Also, if you drag/drop from Word->PPT you won't always get your
original shapes bug due to an issue we're working on, but Copy/Paste always
works.

Let us know how this works!

Matt
MacOffice Testing
Microsoft

Date: 3/27/08 11:44 AM / From: "(e-mail address removed)"